Off the hook fun: Get out and about with salmon, trout

The salmon's annual return from the ocean might be the most iconic wildlife spectacle in the region. And at Metro's Oxbow Regional Park this weekend, during the annual Salmon Homecoming, visitors can get an up-close perspective on this Northwest phenomenon alongside the scenic Sandy River.

Saturday and Sunday at Oxbow, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Metro naturalists working in tandem with the Oregon Zoo's education division will be along the river's edge helping park-goers spot the spawning fish. Polarized glasses are available at the site to help people get a better look.

"The sunny weather is providing some ideal viewing conditions," said Metro naturalist Ashley Conley. "The river is running clear as a bell and the water level seems to be to the fish's liking. In the far channel, we've seen some dramatic splashing and chasing scenes."

All Salmon Homecoming events are free with park entry ($5 per vehicle; $7 per bus). Registration is not required. For more information, call 503-663-0238.

Meanwhile, the Oregon Zoo is offering a less splashy but equally intriguing option: Nine impressive bull trout — among the most threatened and least known members of the salmon family — can now be seen in the Great Northwest area of the zoo alongside the other species in the Cascade Stream and Pond habitat.

Bull trout — nicknamed the "grizzly bears of the fish world" for their fierce disposition and reliance on pristine, unspoiled habitat — are on loan to the zoo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which hopes to help educate people about threatened and endangered species and aquatic ecosystems.

Unlike some members of the salmon family — which fight upstream to spawn and die in the rivers of their birth — bull trout can spawn more than once. And while Chinook and steelhead are famous for their cascade-climbing acrobatics, bull trout can leap over and negotiate obstacles to reach spawning grounds well beyond the reach of other fish. Some bull individuals have been recorded swimming more than 115 miles and gaining 3,000 feet of elevation to reach their spawning areas.

Formerly one of Oregon's largest and most common freshwater fish, bull trout are now found in less than half of their former range. Human activities such as road and dam building have severely impacted trout habitat. Bull trout are listed as threatened by the USFWS, which is monitoring the status of existing populations and reintroducing bull trout into habitats from which they have disappeared.

Did you know?

Metro is working to protect and restore habitat for salmon and other wildlife in the Portland metropolitan area? Learn about Metro's voter-approved Natural Areas Program. You can celebrate the annual return of Chinook salmon to the Sandy River every October at Oxbow Regional Park.

The Oregon Zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, Western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo relies in part on community support through donations to the Oregon Zoo Foundation to undertake these and many other animal welfare, education and sustainability programs. The zoo is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26 at exit 72. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Find fare and route information online or by calling TriMet Customer Service at 503-238-RIDE (7433).

General zoo admission is $10.50 (ages 12-64), $9 for seniors (65 and up), $7.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $4 per car is also required. Additional information is available by calling 503-226-1561.